Differences between two XF243Y monitors

FromSpace

Hello. I bought two XF243Y Pbmiiprx monitors from Best Buy (US) and hooked them up to the same PC, both via DisplayPort to the same graphics card. I noticed some differences on the second monitor:

1. The menu is a little different. Most notably: under System, DP Format is greyed out and PIP/PBP mode is listed as an option (which is not listed in the first monitor's menu).
2. The picture is a different despite using the same settings. It seems slightly more blue and definitely less bright.
3. The power cable is different and much looser. I swapped the power cables between the monitors, and this doesn't affect anything else.
4. The power LED is less bright.

Anyone know what might account for the differences? Is this a different revision? Different firmware? I plan on exchanging the second monitor, unless there's an easy fix.

Thanks!

billsey

They sometimes do firmware updates to the model during it lifetime. I'm guessing you have two different firmware versions. Normally firmware can only be updated with a trip to the repair depot or factory... Is it too bad to live with it?

Balatekie

Hi @FromSpace

I would like to get more insight of your issue. 

1. As you stated "hooked them up to the same PC, both via DisplayPort to the same graphics card" are you using any kind of splitter cable?

To isolate the monitor quality, I recommend you to connect the monitor individually to the PC and check its quality. Also please check whether your graphics card is capable to run Dual monitors and same Output. 

billsey

Yes, swap the monitor between ports to see if it's an issue with the GPU output or with the monitor itself. Swap the cables at the monitor end, it's also possible the issue is with the cable.

FromSpace

Thanks for the ideas.

@Balatekie: I am not using a splitter cable. The card has multiple DisplayPorts. Earlier I duplicated the monitors in Window's display settings to compare them side-by-side. After your suggestion, I tried connecting each monitor to the computer individually and I can still see a difference in picture quality. The second monitor just looks faded.

@billsey:  I just tried swapping the cables on the monitor end and on the GPU end, so I don't think it's the cables.

Any idea why one monitor's OSD includes the PIP/PBP option and the other doesn't?

FromSpace

I reset both displays to factory and chose the "Graphics" picture mode so that the settings are the same. I see that one of the colors used on this forum (hex #efefef) is visible against a white background on Monitor #2, but nearly indistinguishable from white on Monitor #1.

I don't know a lot about monitors, but I have read that picture can vary from panel to panel. I guess the thing that's throwing me off is that the picture is different and the OSD options are different, but maybe that's something on my end.

billsey

They sometimes do firmware updates to the model during it lifetime. I'm guessing you have two different firmware versions. Normally firmware can only be updated with a trip to the repair depot or factory... Is it too bad to live with it?

FromSpace

The second XF243Y isn't terrible, it's just worse than the display these two are meant to replace. I'll try to exchange it.

I don't think there's a fix for it, so I'm going to go ahead and mark your last response as the answer. Thanks again!

billsey

Let us know if the exchange made any difference...

FromSpace

Sure. I picked up the replacement today, but the picture is similar to the one I returned.

Here are some things I noticed:

• It came in a slightly different box with different packaging than either of the first two monitors.
• The OSD is again different, with options rearranged, a new Color Space setting, no PIP option, and a new DP Format setting (1.4). So I'm guessing there have been a couple of firmware updates.
• Windows 10 recognizes this new monitor as a "XF243Y" while the first one is recognized as an "XF243Y P." I have the option of installing Acer's drivers for the "XF243Y P" but not the "XF243Y." See below.

With some tweaking and the Color Space settings, I can probably match the two monitors well enough. I'm curious about the XF243YP / XF243Y difference now though.